"Best Student Council": Is This Show "A New Home" for Humor?

At Miyagami Private Academy one group of girls rules over everyone, even the faculty. They are the Best Student Council, and they have the power to operate the campus’s giant laser cannon, hold epic curry rice battles, charter helicopters, and do various other insane things. New student Rino Rando is surprised to find herself instantly recruited by the illustrious council. Will she survive the semester? And what’s with that puppet?

Dammit, that puppet just freaks me out.

It’s not the voice. It’s not the concept of the girl having an apparently sentient puppet (although that, in itself, reminds me too much of a certain Batman villain). It’s the fact that the puppet has these dead eyes that just stare into your soul. They see into forever.

Her mother’s death has left the ditsy Rino with nowhere to go. Fortunately, her penpal, Mr. Poppit, will foot the bill for her education at the eccentric Miyagami. Instead of a gaming club, newspaper club, and culinary club, the school has a “Covert Squad”, a “Paparazzi Club”, and, well, a “Culinary Club,” where they battle it out in Iron Chef-like tournaments.

“Dear Mr. Poppit” introduces Rino and the viewers to this off-kilter world. When a would-be suitor sets his eyes on the leader of the Best Student Council, they are authorized to use maximum force against his love boat, and unleash a giant, overblown cannon against him. After that, in “Gushing Youth”, the students of Miyagami try to figure out why Rino’s just exactly what the Best Student Council wants. She’s really not “best” at anything, and the girls want to know the truth. And In “Papaya,” rumors swirl about Rino and the head of the Best Student Council, who seem to be, um, enjoying their dorm room too much, and the Paparazzi Club is out to uncover what’s going on.

We also get a murder mystery in “A Brilliantly Clever Approach”, but given the show, it obviously is not going to be a normal case. Pucchan, Rino’s puppet, takes a special interest in the case, as the victim was also a puppet. Such a case both makes sense in this world and requires an investigation and such.

I’ll admit, there’s not much new in this show. But it’s not a waste of time. It has hints of darkness and a better back story, but for now, it’s just a fun ride. These five episodes do give you a good variety of stories as well.

The meager extras are incredibly disappointing. ADV has supplied a character art gallery (which would be more easily viewable in a booklet) and a sheet of Pucchan stickers to do with what you will.

Best Student Council is rather enjoyable, and after the heaviness of Rumbling Hearts it was a relief to watch something light. But if you’re looking for something more dramatic you may want to skip it, or at least this introductory volume.